Beauty school rip off. I am so pissed off. I attend a school (such that it is). It is about 30% education and 70% exploitation. I came to cosmetology school to learn the art of hairstyling and design. Unfortunately, the school got my money and now I'm stuck with their sub par program. Its the kind of school that just teaches for the test. No advanced courses, no information about hair shows, or contests. Grossly overcharged for the total cheap junk they supplied in the kit, overcharged for textbooks and labcoat. Their clientle is 90% 60+y/o looking for nothing but shampoo/rollersets and perms. We have no opportunity to learn color as the instructors *eyeroll* mix the formulas and we are just told to apply. Its sad to see the graduating students leave the school with hot roots for their grad services because the students never learned proper color. They overbook so that we often do not get a lunch break and are forced to stay late just so we can punch out for their 30 min. legally required lunch break. I am so mad. I went to check out the other local school. Their program is what I expected cosmetology school to be like. Lots of advanced learning special educators come in for hands on design and cutting technique, color etc. classes. The students are offered the opportunity to attend trade/hair shows at least 4x during their program and they have a clientle that actually wants contemporary styles. Sadly I cannot move to the other school. As they will accept half of my hours, want full tuition and my current school would charge me 70% of the tuition even though I have only done 40% of the course (miserable the whole time). Our instructors are not required to have any advanced education credentials. The theory instructor could barely read the milady textbook!What an insult. GRRRR. There should be some level of regulation of these schools. There is no recourse for students unsatisfied with the product that they have paid for. I'm am A student at this school. Iwas an A student in college too. so I'm not complaining cause I'm having problems at the school. I'm pissed cause I'm not getting the education I am paying for. Damn!

But hang in there and just get your hours in as fast as you can. I wouldnt pay all the fees to switch schools and get the hours that you have cut in half. As long as they are teaching you stateboard and how to pass then your ok, You can learn all the advanced skills once your in a salon and also when you take classes. Its a shame that they teachers are mixing the color and not letting the students though.. At my school we dd moslty yucky fancy full rinses and that counted toward a color service.:(

Sometimes school can be like jail. Do your time, keep quite, stay out of trouble and count the days till you are done.

The real learning starts when you leave school. Stick with it, time will pass and things will get better.

I went to the cheapest school in town it happened to be a barber school where most of the students were on state funded work release for convicted felons or on state rehab program for meth, crack and heroin addicts. The rest of us paid cash or used GI Bill funds. I learned enough to pass state board and then began my real training. After working in a salon to get my feet wet I trained at Toni&Guy, Sassoon, Shaw, LLongueras, Mahogany and many more academies all over the world. This was possible because of the money I saved on hair school tuition.

I knew better than to switch schools. I'm just biding my time. It will be cheaper to finish here then go to the vidal sassoon advanced academy afterschool than to switch and still only have the basic schooling on the resume. It is frustrating though. I am mentoring with a board certified colorist (outside of school) and I am by no means an expert but it sure is frustrating when I KNOW the instructor is not doing the correct formula (like today). My client left with pink roots and auburn ends. She wanted a dark red violet. She came in with white roots and dk brown ends. I knew that level six she mixed for the roots would be to light (and it was). But I can't correct the instructor. They'd be sure to try to push me out. It is really frustrating.I'm counting the days and doing my time. :-)

it's great that you already know more about color than your instructor,just try to stay open for things you may not know, and realize that there is a lot of drudgery and repetition involved in this business, along with the exciting flashes of brilliance. you may want to work as an apprentice or assistant after you get your license,maybe with the colorist you are being mentored by, so that you can have more experience in a real salon setting,rather than school after school. you can always take classes on your days off, as that is when they are held. that allows you to pick and choose what you want to learn, and pay for only what you want.

i know that i am more concerned as a manager in what someone is capable of on the floor than what 'pedigree' they walk in with..